Hello you all experienced pilots out there (and maybe some instructors - if I'm lucky)
To what extend the experience from Condor can be useful in learning how to fly in the real life?
I'm seriously considering signing up with a local glider club in the spring and I wonder to what extend the time I'm spending learning in Condor will improve my learning curve in the real glider.
Thank you
Can I actually learn in Condor how to pilot the real glider?
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Numberjack
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:33 am
- Location: Toronto
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EDB
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Re: Can I actually learn in Condor how to pilot the real glider?
Flying is easy. The important thing in real life is that you can do it safely. For that you need instruction.
If you are really serious about your real life ambition then I advice you to first contact a club nearby. Start your education in real life and practice in Condor what you learned in real life.
If you do it the other way around it might take more time to go solo because you teached yourself the wrong things in Condor without instruction.
Condor can help you in flying cross country faster. But for that you first have to prove you can fly safely...
If you are really serious about your real life ambition then I advice you to first contact a club nearby. Start your education in real life and practice in Condor what you learned in real life.
If you do it the other way around it might take more time to go solo because you teached yourself the wrong things in Condor without instruction.
Condor can help you in flying cross country faster. But for that you first have to prove you can fly safely...
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Numberjack
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:33 am
- Location: Toronto
Re: Can I actually learn in Condor how to pilot the real glider?
Thank you very much for your answer.
I've already contacted with a local club and signed up for a ground school.
I'll be more careful with my Condor "flying" now.
I've already contacted with a local club and signed up for a ground school.
I'll be more careful with my Condor "flying" now.
Re: Can I actually learn in Condor how to pilot the real glider?
i think while sims can help as bre said sims tend to make ppl learn bad habits... if i would fly in reality i would likely have an eye on a decent field even when im good with altitude... well and if i would get rich somehow i think i would buy a stemme and if thermals are out i can just take the L and use the engine to get altitude to fly home 
cause i wouldnt fly for compedition but rather for amusement and scenery and maybe some travel ofc target would be to do tasks without engine but i wouldnt rage if it doesnt work out
cause i wouldnt fly for compedition but rather for amusement and scenery and maybe some travel ofc target would be to do tasks without engine but i wouldnt rage if it doesnt work out 
Re: Can I actually learn in Condor how to pilot the real glider?
I have flown quite a bit along the years in Condor. I have not been regular but a bit intense in some periods. One year ago I decided it was a good timing to get the license and I actually did. Currently I have a Ls1-f and have flown 50 hours on it and I have also flown in the with an ASG32 and the planes used in the formation program. Still a lot of learning curve to go through, but I can share my little experience on both sides.
I don't think you know how to fly because you fly in Condor. Not at all. There's accelerations, bumpy days, rotors, ridge wind gusts, etc... that make the experience very different. Turning 45º close min sink with a shaky thermal is very different in real life than in Condor.
Above the physical difference there is the risk management dimension. In Condor you can learn by mistakes. In real life you can make and you will make mistakes, but your life is on the line and the impact in your mind and decision process is huge. You have to learn to escape or not to get trapped in the situations where mistakes are made. Therefore a lot of the mind work during flight is dedicated to have be aware of the risk in play and how to get yourself in a position where there are always plan B and C alternatives.
When low and too far from your takeoff club your mind can play very tricky games to your capacity to decide when and where to land out which is something that in Condor does have any relevance at all.
Having said all of that I think that having flown in Condor helps to accelerate the process in a few ways, if you have flown quite a bit in the simulator:
- You understand the basics of weather, thermal, ridge and maybe wave behaviour and therefore there is some part of the learning process that is done.
- Same thing for plane handling, speed, angle, and so on.
- You have got used to tasks and to flying them. I have seen quite a lot of alumni in my year that are still far from flying a task or to try to fly a task. I have flown small tasks (the longer 150km) but I was flying them almost since I got my license. This is specially the case if you have used software like XCSoar with condor.
I will be coming back to the sim because I think it will help to keep a bit of practice in the dull months and also because I will try to fly more different places, so being able to practice beforehand I think can be quite helpful.
Best regards.
Enrique.
I don't think you know how to fly because you fly in Condor. Not at all. There's accelerations, bumpy days, rotors, ridge wind gusts, etc... that make the experience very different. Turning 45º close min sink with a shaky thermal is very different in real life than in Condor.
Above the physical difference there is the risk management dimension. In Condor you can learn by mistakes. In real life you can make and you will make mistakes, but your life is on the line and the impact in your mind and decision process is huge. You have to learn to escape or not to get trapped in the situations where mistakes are made. Therefore a lot of the mind work during flight is dedicated to have be aware of the risk in play and how to get yourself in a position where there are always plan B and C alternatives.
When low and too far from your takeoff club your mind can play very tricky games to your capacity to decide when and where to land out which is something that in Condor does have any relevance at all.
Having said all of that I think that having flown in Condor helps to accelerate the process in a few ways, if you have flown quite a bit in the simulator:
- You understand the basics of weather, thermal, ridge and maybe wave behaviour and therefore there is some part of the learning process that is done.
- Same thing for plane handling, speed, angle, and so on.
- You have got used to tasks and to flying them. I have seen quite a lot of alumni in my year that are still far from flying a task or to try to fly a task. I have flown small tasks (the longer 150km) but I was flying them almost since I got my license. This is specially the case if you have used software like XCSoar with condor.
I will be coming back to the sim because I think it will help to keep a bit of practice in the dull months and also because I will try to fly more different places, so being able to practice beforehand I think can be quite helpful.
Best regards.
Enrique.
